


The Black Knight Lives

by LilacMist



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Alternate Future, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-17 23:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17570030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMist/pseuds/LilacMist
Summary: Micaiah carries on an important legacy after the Goddess's War.





	The Black Knight Lives

Pelleas blinks at Micaiah. "I am terribly sorry, but could you repeat what you said one more time? I do not think I heard you correctly."

Micaiah narrows her eyes and repeats herself. "I wish for you to retake the throne of Daein. In other words, I do not wish to become the next queen."

"But, Micaiah! You would be a wonderful queen! Everyone thinks so, not just me," he babbles to her. "The people of Daein would entrust their lives to the Silver-haired Maiden. She gives them hope."

Micaiah rests her hand on Pelleas's shoulder. "And so do you, former king. I pledged my loyalty to you as a general during times of war, but now, a peaceful ruler is needed. Daein does not need a war hero guiding her. She needs a diplomat. You will serve her well."

"You sound like you plan on leaving me behind," he accuses quietly, glancing at her through his shaggy bangs. "Even if I do accept the crown, I cannot do this alone. I need the Silver-haired Maiden."

"What happens when the Silver-haired Maiden dies?" she bites, narrowing her eyes again. "Will you enlist a poor priest, paint her hair grey, and use her as a figurehead?"

Pelleas frowns. "Of course not, but I--"

"But nothing," Micaiah cuts him off. "There is only one hero of Daein that remains timeless. I am making sure of it. You do not need a Silver-haired Maiden at your side. You have everything you could ever need." She takes his hand and leads him to the other rulers: Queen Elincia, Empress Sanaki, King Tibarn, and Prince Kurth. "They will support you through this. You can trust their guidance."

"But I trust you, Micaiah," Pelleas pleads one last time.

Micaiah smiles softly. "I will never stop supporting Daein from the shadows. If you look hard enough, I know you will be able to find me," she promises. She lets go of his hand and disappears into the crowd.

Pelleas manages to find Sothe, but even he has no idea where Micaiah had disappeared to. "I tracked her down last time she left, but this time, I don't think she wants to be found," the former thief admits.

Indeed, Pelleas never saw the Micaiah that he had fought alongside ever again.

***

It had taken over a year for the kingdoms to be rebuilt to their former glory, but all the hard work was well worth it. Pelleas served tirelessly as Daein's king, and Sothe stayed as his chief adviser. Pelleas supposes he is the closest thing to Micaiah left. Sothe isn't the same without her.

"There have been rumors," Sothe tells him one day. "I wanted to confirm them before sharing them with you."

"Very well," Pelleas says. "What have you heard?"

Sothe, voice uncharacteristically solemn, reveals, "The Black Knight has returned. He has been spotted in many locations across the Daein countryside."

"We watched him die," Pelleas murmurs, holding his chin in thought. "But wasn't his death falsely reported before? Perhaps he evaded his doom once again."

"I don't think that's it," Sothe shakes his head. "This Black Knight fights off brigands, protects the helpless, and..." he takes a deep breath, "...heals those at death's door. He works miracles."

The two men lock eyes, but neither of them feel the need to say anything. They know the identity of this Black Knight.

Pelleas is the first to laugh. "You know, Micaiah once told me that there is only one timeless hero of Daein."

Sothe nods. "It's very like her. If she would have said that to me, I would never have left her side. I would have known what she was plotting."

"That's probably why she didn't tell you," Pelleas chuckles. "I suppose in a way, none of us were ready to move on." Sothe remains silent. "Will you try to find her again?" Pelleas asks.

Sothe shakes his head. "She... she's happy this way. She's living freely. I don't want to take that away from her."

***

Word gets out that Pelleas is not the true heir to the Daein throne. He hasn't been trying to hide it, per se. His mother had told him that her true son would not be interested in ruling a country. She said that Pelleas is fit to rule in his stead. Unfortunately, some Daein citizens feel otherwise. Remembering the attempts of Duke Ludveck to overthrow the queen of Crimea, a group of rogue resistance members band together and plan a violent uprising. Skirmishes spring up in major cities across the country, and it takes all of Pelleas's and Sothe's combined tactical might to keep them at bay.

"Crimea and Bengion have promised to send squadrons to border towns, but I refused Laguz assistance for now," Sothe explains.

Pelleas agrees. "I must prove myself as the worthy king before I accept their aid. After what I did to them...I don't deserve their help."

"With the borders being protected, the resistance movement is bound to reach the castle within the week. Will we have enough soldiers here?" Sothe questions. "Jill has supplied wyvern riders from Talrega, but they are militia fighters and not a trained army."

"As are the resistance soldiers," Pelleas reminds him. "With her and Sir Haar's strength, I am confident that we can plan a course to victory."

The assistance from Talrega arrives, and the small Daein army fortifies the castle and prepares for an ambush. When resistance forces rush the gate, Jill leads the wyvern brigade to meet them in fierce combat.

"Are you sure about this, King?" Sothe asks, twirling a dagger and sticking it in its pouch. "It's been a long time since you've fought with magic."

"I must. She would have fought alongside her people," Pelleas says confidently, though Sothe sees his trembling hands.

"Then we will fight together." Sothe moves out onto the field, searching for weak points in the line and striking. Pelleas remains at the gate, attacking from a distance with a dark spell he has been perfecting. It's inaccurate, but it frightens the enemies.

The resistance forces scatter, overpowered by Daein's might. Their haphazard group, held together by spite, was not enough to shake the determination of the army out to prove itself. "Do not pursue them," Pelleas commands, letting out a sigh of relief. "Return to your posts. They may attack again tomorrow." He ushers the troops into the safety that the castle has to offer.

"It was my honor to serve you, King," Jill greets as she alights near the gate. "You can always rely on Talrega to assist you!"

Pelleas smiles and nods. "Your aid was much needed, Lady Jill. Without you, we would not have claimed victory so quickly and cleanly. I am in your debt."

"I don't believe in repaying debts," Jill declares. "I just try to do the right thing. It's what my father, and then Ike, taught me."

"Your ambition is admirable," Pelleas praises. "If ever you need anything in Talrega, do not hesitate to--look out!"

Jill ducks on instinct, then immediately regrets it. An arrow whizzes over her head and hits its mark right in the heart. "King!" she screams and catches Pelleas as he loses his footing. "Pelleas! Hang in there! You're going to be okay!" Jill curses herself for not learning more about the healing arts from Mist. She looks over her shoulder, hoping to catch sight of the assassin before they escape. What she doesn't expect is to see a familiar armored knight cutting down an archer with a mere flick of the wrist. The knight stalks toward the pair. "He's hurt!" Jill blurts out, holding Pelleas up to the Black Knight.

"I'm sorry I was not here earlier," the knight says, words echoing inside the dark helmet. "My timing is not as impeccable as my predecessor." The Black Knight lays gloved hands on Pelleas and speaks in the ancient tongue. He is bathed in holy light, and when Jill is asked to remove the arrow, the wound closes instantly.

Pelleas's eyes flutter open, and he rests his hand on the knight's. "You came yourself. I didn't have to look for you."

The knight retracts both hands and begins to retreat into the forest. "The Black Knight still protects Daein," is all that is said before the figure fades into the treescape.

More sightings of the Black Knight are reported as the insurgences are quashed. The people of Daein rally behind their silent protector, one that saved their king's life. Pelleas enjoys hearing the stories that Sothe relates of the Black Knight's escapades. Even on his death bed, ridden with an incurable disease, he asks to hear more tales of her victories. "The Black Knight will protect Daein," he promises his daughter, adopted off the streets much as he was years before. "You can always put your trust in her." He dies peacefully, with a smile on his face.

***

Sothe continues to serve the royal family of Daein for the rest of his life. He sees Empress Sanaki of Bengion grow into a strong, capable leader, which says much given her expertise when she was young. When the king and queen of Crimea pass, their children share their ideals and continue to strengthen ties with the Laguz countries, especially Gallia. That's where he is, now.

"Sothe... Mordecai remembers name. Beorc age fast."

"And you haven't changed at all," an elderly Sothe laughs, greeting the Laguz allies that he fought alongside decades ago.

"You're starting to look like me," former king Caineghis laughs, too. "Have you finally decided to turn in your daggers and let the next generation handle affairs in Daein?"

Sothe smirks and shakes his head. "These old bones haven't given up on me, yet. Queen Daein is still relatively young and inexperienced. I plan on serving her until my last breath."

"You have changed a great deal, Sothe," Caineghis tells him. "Even after the Mad King's War, you were focused only on Micaiah's safety. Now, you work for the good of all Daein."

Sothe smiles sadly. "She didn't leave me much choice, you know. She disappeared right after Ike defeated the goddess, and she hasn't been seen since. I think she wanted me to find something else to devote my life to. She insisted that she would fade away, but Daein would last."

"Perhaps you should speak to her about this yourself," the former king says. Before Sothe can interject, a suit of jet-black armor appears in the middle of the room. The Laguz scurry out, leaving Sothe and the armored knight.

"I thought you didn't want to be found," Sothe chuckles, walking forward and reaching towards the knight's helmet. He slowly pulls it off, and silver hair tumbles down onto her weathered shoulder pauldrons.

"I didn't want you following me. You needed to learn how to be your own person," she says, planting her sword in the ground and resting her hands on it. It's a familiar sight for Sothe, but it's unusual to see her doing it.

"You wanted to be your own person, too," he observes, setting the heavy helmet down before his wrists started to ache. "You didn't want to be the Maiden of Dawn your entire life."

She laughs sadly and nods. "There was selfish intent to be sure, but I stand behind my claim that the name of the Black Knight instills the highest hope in the people of Daein. I could not let that hope die."

"There's another reason," Sothe says slowly, meeting her eyes.

"Not the one you're thinking of," she tells him plainly. "I am going to die someday, and someone else will become the new Black Knight, the new protector of Daein."

"That won't happen for a long while," Sothe teases, scratching the gray stubble on his chin. "You don't look a day over thirty."

Her lip quivers. "I wish I could say the same about you." She embraces him, crushing his withering body against her strong armor. "Are you...are you mad?"

He shrugs. "A little. It's hard to be mad when I hear stories about countless lives saved by the Black Knight." He cups her cheek in his hand. "You're still saving Daein, in your own way. I couldn't be more proud."

"And I am proud of you, right hand of the Queen," she praises right back. They stare into each other's eyes until Sothe breaks the silence.

"We won't see each other again, will we?"

Micaiah's face falls, and she nods solemnly.

"You were my family, Micaiah. You cared for me when no one else would, and for that, you have my thanks."

"And you never gave up on me, no matter how many times I tried to run away. You cared for me that deeply."

Sothe smiles. "I still do. Goodbye, Micaiah. Daein, no, all of Tellius needs the Black Knight's protection."

She nods and lets him go, resting her hands on Alondite's hilt. "May we meet again in another life," she breathes as she warps away.

Sothe serves the Daein queen for five more years, falling in battle. He is remembered in Daein for his undying loyalty to her.

***

"I've started looking for a successor," Micaiah explains to her longtime friend Rafiel. At this point, all of her Beorc allies from the Goddess's War have passed on. Even the great Commander Ike has been reduced to legend. "My healing abilities are nowhere near as potent as they used to be, and my fighting style only worked because I surprised my opponents. I need to find someone with unmatched strength to become the next Black Knight."

Rafiel, still as gentle as ever, runs his hand along her shoulders reassuringly. "You will find someone. I can feel it."

Micaiah sighs. "This person has to be willing to discard their entire identity...everything they've worked for. They need to be ready to start anew. How can I ask someone to do that?"

"Well, isn't that something you were looking for? A fresh start?" he asks softly, beckoning her to stand. "The right person will be there in the right place at the right time. You just need to find them." She takes a deep breath and puts her helmet back on.

"Then I won't stop moving until I find the next Black Knight," she promises.

She spends the next one hundred years traversing the continent, entering every village, meeting every family. None are ready to be the next warrior of Tellius. Though discouraged at times, she never gives up. She laughs at the irony when she finds him.

***

"So, you've come to visit me like this," Lehran greets as Micaiah warps into Serenes Forest. "Do tell, what are you intentions?"

Micaiah pulls off her helmet and sits down beside her ancestor. "I still struggle with how I should feel towards you," she admits, drumming her fingers against her knees. "You are my predecessor, and someone who has suffered much in this world. At the same time, you caused much suffering."

"Yes, this is something I will admit to," he says, his eyes trailing down the armor that she proudly wears. "And you're still coming to terms with the loss of Zelgius."

She nods. "I know that his death was his own doing, but he should be the one roaming the Daein countryside, protecting her people. Not me. He was a much better Black Knight than I could ever be."

"It's the heron blood in you," Lehran comments, reaching out to touch the holy sword. "I'm astonished that you can even wield this blade."

"It's the Beorc warrior blood in me," she cheekily counters, moving her hair behind her ears. "I suppose I came here to show you that I was honoring his legacy."

"That you are," he says, eyeing the wrinkles around her eyes. "You suppose you won't be around much longer, yes? That's why you came now."

She nods. "I've found the next Black Knight. He's Beorc. He will need to pick a successor much sooner than I if he chooses to keep the legend alive."

Lehran smiles. Micaiah had been bound by fate for the first segment of her life. She ripped herself out of it to carve her own destiny, and he is proud of what she had accomplished. She had saved countless lives across Tellius and intervened to stop many wars during her time as the Black Knight. "Whether he chooses to or not, I will continue to spread the legend through the land."

Micaiah smiles and stands back up. "Thank you, Lehran." She prepares to leave, but as she goes, she hears one more request.

"Keep Zelgius company for me." He sees tears prick the corners of her eyes as she leaves.

***

"You want me to what? Be the Black Knight?" the boy asks, slinging his axe over his shoulder and cocking his head. "I don't know...my family kind of has beef with that guy. I wasn't expecting him to be a girl."

Micaiah shakes her head. "Your family had, uh, _beef_ with the previous Black Knight. When he died, I took his place. Now that I am nearing death, I want you to take my place."

The boy makes a confused face, then lays down on the ground. "Lady, you're confusing me a lot."

She smiles at the boy. He looks much like his distant grandmother. He has the same soft brown hair and caring blue eyes. "The Black Knight helps the people of Tellius. He is a master of swordsmanship and magic. His blade instills fear in the hearts of the unrighteous, but to those who fight for what's right, he is a beacon of hope. I believe you can be that hope for these people."

"Will you train me?" he asks, sitting up and crossing his legs.

"I think the techniques passed down through your family are already far superior to anything I could teach you," she admits, holding Alondite up to the sunlight. "However, if you insist, I will teach you all that I know.

"Really? That's awesome! I get to train with the actual Black Knight!" he cheers, jumping to his feet and dancing around. Micaiah's smile only grows wider. With this boy protecting them, Tellius will continue to prosper. She is sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> This is different than what I usually write, so thanks for sticking it out to the end!
> 
> This work was inspired by a drawing by @saiykik on Twitter with Micaiah wearing the Black Knight's armor. I thought that it would be cool for many warriors to take the name of the Black Knight in order to protect Daein, similarly to how Lucina takes Marth's name in FE:A. (Okay, it was more inspired by the Princess Bride's Dread Pirate Roberts than the Marth-Lucina thing, but I tried to connect it to Fire Emblem somehow.)
> 
> I like to think about how the game would play out differently if characters made different choices. Micaiah never seemed too keen on being the Maiden of Dawn, so giving her a chance to shed that title and become someone else (amplified by Zelgius's original intent of hiding his branded nature by using the armor as a guise) was an interesting idea for me to explore.


End file.
